For moms and dads: How to parent with more joy and more sanity. Scroll down to the comment section for pearls of wisdom. (via Mission Amy K.R.)

For those of us in need of a little summer fun: How to make your own "extended polymer chains from household chemicals"---or, in other words, Silly Putty. Sylvia of the Super-Awesome Mini Maker Show shows us how. She's really great. (via Craft)

For gardeners without green space (and veggie-loving homeowners without green thumbs): How to collaborate with your neighbors to grow and share produce using "free yardsharing service" Hyperlocavore.

A joy: Use of this gel could reduce a woman's risk of contracting HIV by up to 54 percent.

Churchy things/A concern: "A Florida church with "Islam is of the devil" signs in its front lawn plans to host an "International Burn A Quran Day," on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks this year." (via The Pew Forum)

UU voices: At AlterNet, Be Schofield wonders if religious liberals are "providing legitimacy and credibility for fundamentalism, violence, oppression and bigotry done in the name of religion." (via The Friendly Atheist)

Young adults of note: Carte Goodwin, a 36 year-old lawyer, has been appointed to fill the senate seat left vacant by Robert Byrd of West Virginia, who died last month at the age of 92. (Goodwin is now the youngest person serving in the senate.) Goodwin's first act after being sworn in this week was to vote to extend unemployment benefits to those Americans who have been out of work for longer than 26 weeks.

A joy: Evidence that social is for more than just bullying or wasting time. "[P]eople who are 20, 30 or 40 years beyond graduation are using Facebook to re-establish relationships with teachers and express gratitude and overdue respect." (via The New York Times)

Good answer!: Scientists in Great Britain claim to have solved the ancient chicken-egg conundrum. So which really did come first?

Churchy things:

"[W]e have on one hand the persisting intuitive sense that the universe is not alien to us, that our existence is not accidental and our complexity and brilliance are not simply unaccountable extravagances on the part of evolution. On the other hand we have the conviction, also no doubt intuitive to the degree that it is strongly held, that we are indeed creatures of accident, alone with our brilliance unless accident has come up with like creatures elsewhere." --- the fabulous Marilynne Robinson writes, at the Huffington Post, on science and religion.

Curiosities:

Your weekly dose of Muppet: A history of Muppet bands, including "Nine Inch Snails."

Two American institutions are rebranding: the YMCA is now just "The Y," and the NPR in National Public Radio now stands for...nothing.

How to: Sew! If you've always wanted to learn how and are in need of a summer project, join Leigh-Ann at Freckled Nest for her online HOME EC course, which starts today!

Young adults of note: In the first installment of the Rumpus's "Talks With Teachers" column, an anonymous YA high school teacher from Brooklyn talks about her students, what drew her to teaching, and more.